Hairdo accessory



Feb. 9, 1954 R. E. WILLE I 2,668,547

HAIRDO ACCESSORY Filed Feb. 21, 1952 Patented Feb. 9, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAIRDO ACCESSORY Rachel E. Wille, Franklin Park, 11]. Application February 21, 1952, Serial N 0. 272,819 3 Claims. (01. 13246) The present invention relates to coiifure foundation devices sometimes identified as chignons and which are used in forming various types of womens hairdress.

An important object of the present invention is to produce a light-weight self retentive hairdo foundation accessory suitable for securing in place a principal or total hair strand in the arrangement and formation of high placement coiifures.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a low cost hair dress accessory of minimum weight and dimensional characteristics that may be securely attached to a principal hair queue or-a total hair strand and one which will sustain itself in a fixed position without slipping or creeping for long periods of time.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a hairdressing accessory which may be secured to a principal hair strand by a self exerting action of constriction optionally supplemented by pinning and possessed of inherent qualities of aesthetic adornment or decorative value.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a hairdressing foundation device which may be utilized alternatively as a concealed clamping fixture or as an exposed hair strand support implemented with a snap action affecting the circumferential portion ofthe device without change of its position.

With these and other objects in view the present invention is disclosed hereinafter in two exemplary embodiments. In one a web of Woven fabric screen made of a loose or coarse mesh is trained and secured into the form of a bell flare and tubular portion. The tubular portion is given a sphincter-like action by having woven into its thread in the region of the tubular section one or more elastic threads or filaments. By utilizing a coarse yarn of attractive coloring or one overlaid with a lustrous metallic wrap, the resulting accessory device may be made to serve the additional purpose of adornment. This can be further enhanced by the application of sparkle pins or other attractive attachments. This type of foundation device is applied onto a principal braid or total hair strand in the manner of an elastic grommet. In connection with certain types of hairdo or dressing it may be left totally or partially exposed as, for example, in the making up of the so called pony tail coiffure.

In the other embodiment a certain degree of springable rigidity is utilized for the purpose of contributing build-up or padding to various types of hair cluster formations. The general outline of this embodiment is usually circular and it is provided with a concentric central aperture through which the principal hair strand is passed as an initial dressing operation. In order that this form of device may be permitted to lie as close as possible to the head its body is made extremely thin and is given a dished concavity. This embodiment may be produced advantageously in plastic through the processes of moulding or thermoplastic setting. This form may be sprung so as to reverse its relative concavity attended by a snap overcentering action. In use this permits the coiifure detail to be made up and tucked under after which the foundation ring may be snapped back to its original form.

For a more detailed explanation of the construction and utility of this invention reference will now be had to the following explicit description as well as the accompanying drawing in both of which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout, and in which:

Fig. 1 is an artistic sketch illustrating an application of the hairdressing accessory embodying certain features of the present invention as applied to a pony tail hairdress;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a hairdress accessory embodying certain features in the present invention and in which portions of the drawing are symbolically dotted to designate repetition or continuity of the disclosure pattern;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken approximately on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a modified embodiment of the present invention; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken approximately on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring now more particularly to the illustration in the accompanying drawing attention is directed to a preferred embodiment of foundation device designated generally H and detailedly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 as having applied thereto a superimposed ornament l2. It has been found that this type of apparatus may be constructed advantageously of metal covered thread filaments of the type that are sometimes employed in the construction of woven belts, drapery, etc. As a practical matter this embodiment may in fact be made by training a length of loosely woven belt material into a conical shape by compacting the portion of the thread nearest the bushing or apex and by spreading it near the base. It has been found that in loosely woven fabrics of this type there may be imparted moderate but adequate shifting to the weave to permit a wide range of shaping or moulding, so that a substantially annular belt may be converted into a semi-rigid ring of the shape indicated in Figs. 2 and 3.

Alternatively, this shape may be originally accomplished by loosely cross-weaving metallic covered or other inelastic fibers into pliable filaments on a form having the shape designated in these illustrations. The filament threads may be woven in multiple, curved strands as indicated at l3, Fig. 2, with entirely satisfactory results. A zigzag retracing thread filament path may be followed in which the threads are doubled around edge beading as at I4, Fig. 3, in a manner which will provide a slight increase in thickness and relative rigidity at one or both oftheedges 16, 18 of the woven formation, while leaving said edges pliable or semi-rigid.

After the conformation of the conical shape has been accomplished in either of the described methods a. plurality of elastic threads may be inserted as at for the purpose of forming the central, tubular portion N3 of the structure, with a sphincter-like action at the joint between said portion and the wide, principal bell flare or flange portion H. The elastic elements 15 may be. of the conventional class such as are used in the fabrication of garters.

Where an ornamentation element i2 is desired it may be secured to the flared portion if by stapling or sewing and this location will constitute no impairment to the operation of the device due to the fact that portion l? is maintained relatively stable even when the ringlet or tubular part it requires to be distended.

The application of this type of device to a principal or total hair strand is a simple manipulation to the skilled professional hairdresser as well as to the amateur. After combing and gathering the hair into a single strand the flange or neck portion l6 may be distended by a stretchment manipulation easily performed with one hand as the hair strand i held together with the other. Once the strand has been inserted through the opening, the device I I may be drawn up close to the scalp surface as indicated in Fig. 3 through the exercise of a simple sliding movement and after an ideal position or location has been attained the sphincter effect of the constricting flange tends to hold the strand in near cylindrical array while the foundation portion l1 impinges against the base of the strand.

For those users who prefer the so called pony tail hairdress, the foregoing operations will achieve a net, well appearing and secure coiffurefree of bothersome pinning, added weight, and constant attention. One or two transversely thrust bobby pins may be inserted through the loose weave of the fabric in the region of the bell flare section 11, but even this precaution is not necessary except in those cases where the quantity of hair is inadequate or of unsuitable texture tobe gripped by the flange portion iii.

In other types of hairdress in which the just described ringlet effect is intended to perform merely as a gathering clamp and where the gather strand is to be worked back into a ringlet or bun formation this foundation structure will be recognized to have advantages over other media used for this purpose because of its lightness' of weight as well as because of its minimum bulk and overall dimension. The contained strand may be separated into smaller sections and braided or it may be doubled back over the foundation device H into a loose or tight billowy formation or rosette with practically no impairment as to range of styling.

Modification In Figs. 4 and 5 there is illustrated a relatively rigid form of foundation device in which anchoring to the scalp and strand gathering is accomplished most advantageously by transverse pinning as at 21 and for this purpose the intermediate section 22 between the circumferential welts 23 and M is preferably perforated throughout or constituted of an open mesh woven screen starched or cemented into a springably rigid form. It i of advantage in most uses that this form be quite stiff and that it should have a sphericity or dished effect best indicated in Fig. 5. During the hairdress operation the modified foundation device 25 may be sprung into the position shown in dotted outline 2B in Fig. 5. This permits its radial flange extremity to be spaced at a considerable distance from the scalp 21 so that in the case of bun formations the ends of the hair strands may be tucked into the intervening space after which the foundation device may be snapped back to its original position or as near thereto as the tucked in hair will permit;

A foundation structure after the manner of this embodiment may be accomplished by making the entire device out of a single moulded or formed plastic ring with the intermediate region 22 interspersed with closely spaced perforations.

While the present invention has been explained and described with reference to certain specifically explained practices of construction and utilization it will be understood nevertheless that numerous modifications and variations are capable of being incorporated without departing from the essential spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, it is not intended, for an understanding of this invention, to be limited by the particular illustrations in the accompanying drawing nor by the language employed in the foregoing specification except as indicated in' the hereunto appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

l. A hairdo accessory for the high placement retention of hair strands which comprises a bellshaped structure of pliable filaments consisting of woven inelastic filament fibres arranged in curved strands and cross woven into a loose moderately shiftable mesh which comprises a principal flange portion and converging therefrom a constricted tubular portion, and elastic circumferential filamentsinterwoven into said tubular portion so as to exert a yieldable embracing force thereab'out for retaining said accessory ona gathered hair strand under alternative conditions of relative placement.

2. A haird'ress foundation fixture which comprises a fabric of pliable cross woven inelastic filament fibres trained into a bell flare comprising a wide flange portion and'converging therefrom a tubular portion, and elastic filaments in said tubular portion to exert a yieldable constricting force for retaining the said fixture on a gathered hair strand.

3. A foundation device for supporting a high placement hairdress which comprises a form of semi-rigidmaterial having at its center a circular' opening through which a total hair strand may be inserted, said form having a flexible edg ing about'its outermost periphery and a'n'o'ther lining said opening, the-area of said form: intervening said edging beingat open; m'eshscreen and affording abundant apertures through which Number said form may be pinned to the hair strand base. 537,542 RACHEL E. WILLE. 815,998

References Cited in the file of this patent 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS i g Number Name Date 11:302

57,328 Iverson Aug. 21, 1866 Name Date Moore Apr. 16, 1895 Wolfi Mar. 27, 1906 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Feb. 18, 1893 Great Britain Jan. 12, 1901 

